Signal light



May 2, 1933.

T. W HILLIARD SIGNAL LIGHT Filed Aug. 2, 1928 2 Shee-izs-Iihezfiv l INVENTGR. KW .10. WcTG/KXXMML N. HILLIARD SIGNAL LIGHT Filed 1928 2Sheets-s 2 N V EN TOR Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICETHOMAS w. NQIIILLIARI), 0F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEAssIGN- MENTS, T0 CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC CORPORATION, orMERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0 DELAWARE SIGNAL LIGHT MApplication filed August 2, 1928. Serial rim-296,874.

My invention relates to a signal device, and particularly toimprovements 1n the lighting of a signal device.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, as luminescent tubes have been builtup speclally for any particular situation and have not been produced incommercial units suitable for general lighting, such as for use inconnectlon with fire-alarm systems, police systems, trafiic controllights, and the like.

It is one of the objects of my invention to produce a gas luminescentlamp suitable for general use, and capable of convenient use like anordinary electric lamp.

It is a further object to provide an improved gas luminescent tube lightassembly which will reduce danger of accident due to the comparativelyhigh tension line heretofore employed in connection with gas luminescentlights.

It is still a further object to provide a fire-alarm or other signalsystem including a signal light which may be controlled by thesupervisory circuit of the fire-alarm or other signal system.

Other objects will be apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, onepreferred form of the invention- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view ofafirealarm system involving features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a plurality of signal lights serving afire-alarm or other system;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail'sectional view through an improved gasluminescent lamp and transformer assembly.

An improved form of gas luminescent tube as shown more particularly inFig. 3 will first be described. I provide a base 5, which may be of anysuitable construction and carries terminals or contacts 66 forengagement with the terminals of a socket or other supporting means. Agas luminescent tube is secured to the base 5 and the ends of the tubeconnected to the terminals 6-6. The' base 5 maybe made to fit standardtypes of sockets or other connecting devices suitable for use inconnection with gas luminescent tubes. For use in connection with signalably formed of one or more helical convolutions 7, and the end of thetube forming the last convolution preferably extends down through thecenter of the convolutions, as

indicated at 8. The lower ends 9 of the tube,

as heretofore indicated, are connected to the contacts or terminals 6-6,heretofore mentioned. A transparent protecting globe or I bulb 10 ispreferably secured to the base 5.

The unit thus far described may be sold and handled as such, and theconnections to a suitable source of current readily made. The use of myimproved gas luminescent light unit obviates the difficulty heretoforeencountered inmaking the wire connections to gas luminescent tubes asheretofore made.

In most situations, such as in connection with signal systems ofvarious. kinds, it is not practical to run the comparatively hightension lines required for the operation of gas luminescent tubesbetween relatively remote units, and I therefore propose to provide atransformer in a housing to which my improved gas luminescent lamp maybedirectly connected. Thus, the high tension lines for operation of thelamp are reduced to a negligible length, and the danger inconnecup bymeans of the transformer 11 to the extent sufiicient to operate the gasluminescent lamp. As shown the secondary or high tension lines 1414 areshort and terminate in suitable terminals 15-15 secured preferably to aninsulating plate 16 which may form a cover for the transformer housing.The insulating plate 16 in the form shown is provided with apertures forreceiving the contacts or terminals 6-6 of the gas luminescent lamp.

If desired, the ring 17 which supports the plate 16 may be supportedupon the housing 12 and provided with a screw socket for the receptionof the threaded end of a protecting globe 18. The part 17 may alsosupport any suitable type or protector or screen 19 for the protectionof the globe 18 and gas luminescent lamp. The transformer housing 12 ispreferably provided with a suitable con nection such as a threadedsocket 20 to be received and supported by a nipple or pipe 21, indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 1.

When my improved lamp is to be used in connection with a signalingsystem as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the gas luminescent lamp may besupported on a pipe or tube 21 above the signal box 22, which is in turnsupported from the usual base or pedestal 23, or which may be supportedfrom overhead in any position. The low tension line 13 may be anordinary lighting circuit, and is connected to the primary of thetransformer, as will be plain. In some cases it will be desirable tohave all of the gas luminescent signal lamps connected and controllablefrom a single point by a simple switch as would be possible inconnection with the form shown in Fig. 2. It may also be desirable tohave each lamp controlled by means such as a relay at each station inconnection with signal systems. It is usual to have a supervisorycircuit for the remote control of fire-alarm mechanism in a fire-alarmbox at 22, and the gas luminescent lamp relay control may be actuated orcontrolled by such supervisory circuit.

In connection with such a system I employ a relay designated generally24, which makes and breaks connection to the primary of the transformer.The relay 24 is controlled by the supervisory circuit designatedgenerally 25, and which in the fire-alarm system controls fire-alarmmechanism form ng no part of the present invention and not disclosed.

The supervisory circuit includes a source of current 26, a switch 27. aswitch 28. and a resistance 29. By closing the switch 27, the resistance29 is short-circuited and the relay 24 closed so that the gasluminescent lamp will then be lighted. As soon as the relay has beenclosed, the swtich 27 mav be opened and with the switch 28 closed. thepotential will be reduced, but not sufficiently to open the relay 24. Inorder to break the relay 24,

the switch 28 is o ened, thus further reducing the potential y puttingmore of the resistance 29 into the clrcuit, and the relay 24 is thenbroken. The fire-alarm devices controlled by the supervisory circuit aresuch that when the supervisory potential is reduced sufliciently tobreak the relay 24, the fire-alarm mechanism will not be affected. Thisis one means only and other systems of remote control will readilysuggest themselves.

While the invention has been described in some detail and forillustration in connection with a fire-alarm system, it is to beobserved that the invention is of broader application and the improvedgas luminescent light and associated parts may be advantageouslyemployed in other situations, for example, in connection with policere-call systems, trafiic light systems, landing fields, and similarplaces where the present type of light would be advantageous.

The particular gaseous agent in my improved tube may vary according torequirements. For example, I may employ neon, neon and argon, neon andmercury vapor, or in fact any gas which is capable of producing thedesired lightin effect.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A luminescent gas lamp construction comprising a housing, aninsulating support detachably mounted upon the housing and havingpassages extending therethrough, a step-up transformer suspended fromsaid support within said housing, contacts secured to said supportwithin said housing, a relatively irrefrangible detachable lamp basehaving a relatively fragile tube containing a luminescent gas and havingrigid terminal prongs projecting from the base at fixed distances fromeach other so as to extend within said passages and be positioned by thewalls thereof and to engage said contacts, said tube being entirelyoutside of said housing.

2. A luminescent gas lamp construction comprising a base ring having aglobe seat, a housing secured to said base rin an insulating supportingmember secure to said base ring and having passages for prongs, atransformer mounted within said housing, output contacting terminalsconnected therewith within said housing, and a relatively irrefrangibledetachable lamp base having rigid terminal prongs insertable throughsaid passages into engagement with said contacts and a tube containingluminescent gas with electrodes connected to said prongs.

3. A luminescent gas lamp construction comprising a housing, aninsulating support, means for securing the periphery of said support tosaid housing, a transformer mounted in said housing, contacts carried bysaid support and directly connected to the output leads of thetransformer, said support havmg passages leading to said contacts and adetachable lamp comprising a base with terminal prongs projectingtherefrom and adapted toenter said passages in order to engage saidcontacts and a gas-filled tube carried by said base with its endsconnected to said prongs.

4. In a luminescent gas lamp construction, the combination comprising ahousing, an insulating top member, means for supporting said top memberupon said housing, contacts carried by said top member, a step-uptransformer having a frame suspending it from said insulating member andhaving its output terminals connected to said contacts, said insulatingtop member having passages for conductive prongs of a gas lamp base toenter therein.

5. A luminescent gas lamp construction including an inferior housingprovided with an outwardly extending flange at its upper rim, aninsulating member substantially covering said housing at its top, asuperior ring fastened to said flange and supporting said insulatingmember, a voltage raising transformer iving potentials upwards of 1000volts an mounted within said inferior housing dependent from saidinsulating member, current conductor leads to said transformer, contactmembers mounted upon said insulating member and connected to the highpotential output of said transformer, and apertures in said insulatingmember for the passage therein of the conductive prongs of a luminescentgas lamp base.

THOMAS W. N. HILLIARD.

